DCVLP’s volunteer attorneys represent domestic violence survivors and at-risk children in D.C. Superior Court. Ms. Arsht, who is also a lawyer, has been an active supporter of DCVLP’s work since the group’s founding in 2008. She was one of the earliest women admitted to the Delaware Bar and her mother, the Honorable Roxana Cannon Arsht, was the first female judge in that state. The new fellowship, believed to be the first of its kind, has been named the Roxana Cannon Arsht Fellowship for Family Law in her honor.

The gift announced today puts Ms. Arsht’s financial support for DCVLP over the past five years at over $1 million. In recognition of this substantial support, as well as her valuable advice and mentorship, Ms. Arsht was given DCVLP’s first annual “Champion of Justice Award” at DCVLP’s recent Voices Against Violence gala.

“Adrienne and I go back a long way, and it is truly an honor to have her by my side in the on-going fight against domestic violence, where she is using her resources, her vision, and her passion to do so much good,” said Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. who attended Voices Against Violence and presented Ms. Arsht with the award.

Jenny Brody, DCVLP Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director said: “We are thrilled that Ms. Arsht’s gift will enable us to serve more clients who urgently need legal assistance to escape from abuse and also provide an opportunity for lawyers on career break to gain new skills and experience that will assist them in returning to the practice of law.”

“Keeping women and children safe from domestic violence should be a priority for all of us,” stated Ms. Arsht.  “Legal representation is a crucial element in a victim’s ability to escape an abusive relationship, and DCVLP is an extraordinary organization that provides vitally needed, often life-saving legal services to abused women and children.”

About Adrienne Arsht:
Adrienne Arsht is a business leader and philanthropist who has taken a leading role promoting artistic, business and civic growth in the three cities she calls home: Washington, D.C., Miami and New York. She is founding chairman of the Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation in Miami and recently endowed the Adrienne Arsht Latin American Center at The Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. She also is a Trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington and Lincoln Center in New York.